[DAB_Design]

I was thinking of going with this controller -- http://www.stepper3.com/index.htm?33.htm&1

and motors from Dan Mauch -- 1S34027 785 OZ.IN. 2.5A DS 3.0

I tried reading through the stepper3 controller, but all the electronics mumbojumbo confuses use folk from Kansas.

Would this make a good combo? I'm pretty sure I can use the power supply from my current controller. That's all that would be needed, right? Probably end up putting it in an old pc case or something similar with a couple of fans.

[ger21]

Just my opinion, but I personally wouldn't get either. I'd recommend against any unipolar board. I've never heard of anyone getting good performance from them, especially with bigger motors.

I believe the Xylotex (comparable price) would give you much better performance than the stepper3 with any given motor. The Xylotex (any chopper drive, actually) will use much less current, and you won't have to buy expensive resistors.

But, I wouldn't recommend those motors with a Xylotex, either. Although you can't really beat the price, you probably won't be able to get much speed out of them.They are rated at 7.5V, bipolar series.Bipolar series is already quite slower than bipolar parallel, and to get these motors to operate well, you'd want to use at least 75V, I'd say.

Another option would be to build your own drivers with boards from http://www.embeddedtronics.com
I believe these will let you use up to about 50V.

What kind of power supply, and drives and motors are you using now? Why are you upgrading. What kind of machine, and what kind of performance are you looking for? And, most importantly, what is your budget? Speed costs money, and it's much cheaper to buy the right stuff once rather than buying the wrong stuff first and having to replace it. Especially if you'd be replacing it for the second time.

[DAB_Design]

unipolar bipolar bipolar series bipolar parallel ....stop .....need .....sleep ....can't ....handle ....big ....words

I'll look at the Xylotex boards later after I wake up. Just got off my first night of 12hr shifts.

As far as buiding my own, I'd much rather not. Given the parts and a schematic, I'm sure I could do it. But I just really don't want the extra work.

The machine is a HF mill/drill (7.5 x 20 if I remember correctly). The drives I was trying to use were left from a project that didn't exactly get finished. Small 60oz things. They tried really hard, but just couldn't turn the screw without a bit of help. I'll get all the info on the power supply and other things when I wake up also (it was a kit from hobbycnc I purchased a couple years ago).

I don't really want to spend anything over $500. And like you said, I want to make sure I get motors that I won't have to replace soon just for not having enough power. I'll be cutting mostly (ONLY if I have anything to do with it) aluminum.

For someone that doesn't really understand electronics, this is all a bit much to try and learn at once. :tired:

[DAB_Design]

one other thing is I would like to leave room to add on. So a 4 axis board would be best.

[ESjaavik]

If you don't understand and don't want to learn the "mumbojumbo", the best way out is to buy stuff that has already proven that it can do the job. Look around here on CNCzone and see if you can find a machine if not the same as yours, at least comparable in design and size. Then ask the owner what he used.

If you will cut aluminum, you need more speed and thus power than if you were only cutting steel.

785oz/in = 5.5Nm is not bad if using ballscrews, but as already mentioned, you will need chopper drives. That means they regulate current by chopping up the voltage instead of by burning it off in resistors. For anything bigger than the smallest laptop mills you should not consider anything but choppers. Especially since you also need speed because you cut aluminum.